No Renewal: My Contract Husband Free Preview

Glacieroth, Glimmering Isles.

"Alfred, I did all this research and planning. We can go glacier hiking here, and there's an ice cave exploration just ahead. I specifically asked the locals about it, and they said we can see the northern lights during the hike."

This time, Alfred Keywood had finally carved out two weeks to come see the northern lights with her. To make this trip happen, Nella Milo also worked several grueling night shifts in a row to swap shifts with her colleagues at the hospital.

"How about we try the glacier hike tomorrow? Would that work?"

Nella's face was buried in a thick scarf, but her eyes sparkled with pure anticipation.

Tiny ice crystals clung to her thick, curled lashes, and her nose was pink from the cold, but her eyes shone brightly.

When she spoke, her breath turned to white mist, adding an almost dreamlike quality to her eager expression.

Alfred rarely saw Nella show her emotions so openly.

Since their contract marriage had begun, Nella had always been gentle and even-tempered, emotionally stable, as if nothing in this world could make her lose her cool.

Those beautiful eyes of hers looked like a sea of stars, especially when she looked at him with that expectant gaze, as if dusted with starlight.

Watching her, Alfred felt something stir in his chest. He smiled and said, "Sure."

Joy spread rapidly from Nella's eyes across her entire face.

...

The next day.

The couple dressed and got ready, then headed to the ice cave exploration with a local guide.

Heavy snow fell that day in Glacieroth. Outside the hotel, thick layers of snow had already accumulated on the mountain.

"Alfred, look. This place is so beautiful, I don't know when we'll get to come back here again."

Nella grabbed Alfred's arm, unable to contain her excitement as she marveled at the scenery.

"Next time you want to come, I'll ... "

Alfred's words were cut short when his phone suddenly rang.

He pulled it out and answered. "Hello? What?"

His expression shifted drastically. While still on the phone, he started walking back the way they'd come.

"Alfred, what's wrong?"

Nella's heart sank. She reached out to grab his arm but caught only air.

He was walking so fast that Nella, weighed down by her heavy snow gear, couldn't keep up with him.

By the time she finally made it back to the hotel, Alfred had already changed out of his snow gear and into his regular clothes.

"What's going on?"

She walked over to him. Seeing how awful he looked, she asked with concern.

"Zoey's been kidnapped. I need to get back right away and save her."

Alfred's face was dark, his voice filled with tension and worry.

Zoey—Zoey Mack. Alfred's childhood sweetheart.

Nella knew about her.

She'd heard that Zoey had been sickly since childhood and was later sent abroad by her parents for medical treatment and recovery. She'd only returned to the country a week ago.

Watching Alfred's frantic state, Nella felt a bitter ache in her chest.

While she stood there in a daze, Alfred had already walked out of the hotel room. As if remembering something, he turned back to Nella and said, "You can go see the northern lights tonight. I'll come find you after I've rescued Zoey."

Before Nella could respond, Alfred had already quickened his pace and left the hotel.

Nella suddenly remembered something and chased after him. "Alfred, wait."

The moment she called out, Alfred turned around impatiently. His pleasant expression from that morning had been replaced by irritation.

"Nella, when I married you, it was because you were sensible and understanding. At a time like this, are you really going to throw a jealous fit and try to stop me from saving someone's life?"

Alfred looked at Nella with disappointment and annoyance as he said this.

Nella felt a sharp stab in her chest. She stared at Alfred in shock.

Seeing Nella's expression, Alfred froze, seeming to realize his attitude had been too harsh. A flicker of guilt crossed his eyes. "I ...

"I just wanted you to take these snow goggles."

Nella cut off whatever he was about to say.

She held out the goggles in her hand and said, "The sun's out now. Between here and there, it's all snow. You'll get snow blindness if you don't wear them."

Hearing Nella's soft explanation and looking at the goggles she offered, Alfred stood frozen.

After a long moment, he took the goggles from her hand. With a complicated expression, he pressed two fingers against his temple and explained in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry. I was too worked up just now. That's why I ... "

Nella shook her head. "It's fine. A life is at stake. I understand."

Seeing Nella's forced smile, Alfred felt a sudden pang in his chest. Instinctively, he started to say, "Nella ... "

"Go. Saving her is what matters. Don't waste any more time."

Nella interrupted him, urging him on.

Thinking of Zoey, who'd been kidnapped and whose life hung in the balance, Alfred didn't linger. "Wait for me to come back," he said before hurrying away.

Watching Alfred hurry away anxiously, Nella could no longer maintain the smile on her face.

Over the past two years of marriage, the Alfred she knew had always been calm, composed, and refined. She'd never seen him lose his composure like this.

She supposed this was what people meant when they said worry makes you irrational.

She sighed and returned to the hotel room. The excitement she'd felt that morning had vanished without a trace.

Her marriage to Alfred was complicated, yet oddly rational.

She'd met Alfred through her mentor, Caleb Fred, a medical school professor at Apex Medical University Hospital.

Caleb was a family friend of the Keywoods. When he learned that Alfred's grandfather, Regis Keywood, was constantly pressuring Alfred to get married, Caleb thought of introducing the student he's most proud of to him.

That student was her—Nella.

Although Nella's family background couldn't compare to the Keywoods, one of the elite old-money families in Apex, hers was still a respected household of academics and intellectuals.

Her grandparents had been among the first professors at Apex, and many of the notable families and new money families had been their students.

Her parents were also professors at Apex Medical School.

And she held dual doctorates in clinical medicine from Apex Medical School, having graduated three years ahead of schedule.

Whether it was her family background or her intelligence, she barely met the Keywoods' standards for a daughter-in-law.

And so, she and Alfred went on a blind date.

When Nella met Alfred, she was both excited and nervous, but she put on the best acting performance of her life, making their first date absolutely perfect.

"Ms. Milo, there's something I want to make clear. I have no intention of getting married. It's just that my grandfather won't stop pushing me."

"I ... me too."

Nella kept her expression natural as she sighed helplessly.

"My grandfather is seriously ill. He wants to see me married before he passes, so that's why I ... "

She gave an awkward smile, offering what she thought was the perfect excuse for agreeing to this blind date.

Her grandfather being seriously ill was true. That he wanted her to get married was also true. But the real reason she'd agreed to the blind date was him—Alfred.

She'd had a crush on Alfred for ten years, from sophomore year of high school until now.

"If you don't mind, Ms. Milo, we could have a contract marriage—three years. When the contract expires, we'll divorce on grounds of incompatibility. What do you think?"

"A ... contract marriage?"

Nella was taken aback as she watched Alfred nod seriously.

Looking at his serious yet sincere eyes, she was certain Alfred wasn't joking.

Even so, Nella agreed without hesitation.

Becoming Alfred's wife meant her ten years of secret affection had finally paid off, right?

"Then ... happy partnership."

Alfred smiled and extended his hand toward her. His elegant hand, like the man himself, was refined and beautiful.

"Happy partnership."

She reached out and shook his hand.

Warmth from his palm spread throughout her entire body.

And just like that, she and Alfred became contract spouses for three years.

A cold wind blew past, making Nella shiver and snapping her back to the present.

Without Alfred there, she'd lost all interest and just holed up in the hotel room, sleeping through the afternoon.

That entire day, she never received a single call from Alfred.

The next day, she still woke up early.

She put on her snow gear, grabbed her exploration equipment, and arranged with a local guide to go hiking on her own.

She'd come all this way. How could she waste two weeks of vacation time?

Along the route, there were quite a few expedition groups from various countries.

Nella didn't feel nervous or scared.

She took lots of photos.

She opened Alfred's chat on her phone, habitually about to send him the pictures, but then stopped.

She figured Alfred should have arrived back home by now.

With Zoey being kidnapped, sending him vacation photos seemed completely inappropriate.

Thinking this, she gave up on that idea.

Just as she was about to put her phone away, she found herself, almost as if possessed, clicking into Zoey's Facebook profile.

A week ago, when Zoey's family returned to the country, they visited the Keywoods.

After the family dinner, Zoey had added her on Facebook Messenger.

The first post on Zoey's feed was from an hour ago.

"I will always be priceless to Alfred. Haha!"

Attached were nine photos.

There were selfies of Zoey in a hospital room, along with several shots of a man's tall silhouette and his hands peeling an orange.

Although Alfred's face didn't appear in any of the photos, Nella recognized him immediately.

She especially recognized his hands peeling the orange—he was wearing his wedding ring.

So Zoey had already been rescued from the kidnappers?

Thinking this, Nella felt relieved.

She figured that later this evening, Alfred would probably head back to find her.

Her gaze fell on the comments section of that post.

"You're just taking advantage of how much Alfred spoils you. You even dared to fake a kidnapping."

"Leave it to Zoey. Alfred left his wife freezing in the far reaches of Glimmering Isles. When she gets back, he's going to be sleeping on the couch."

"Don't pull something like this again."

This comment was from Alfred. Among all the comments, Zoey had only replied to his.

"Alfred, I know I was wrong. When your wife gets back, I'll apologize to her."

Below that, more people had commented.

"Even though the kidnapping was fake, Zoey's depression relapse is just as serious, isn't it? His wife wouldn't be so unreasonable as to get mad about this."

"If you ask me, Alfred should have just married Zoey in the first place. They've known each other for years. With Alfred around, maybe Zoey's depression would get better right away."

"Alfred's still there with Zoey now, isn't he? In his heart, Zoey's definitely more important than his wife."

Nella read through these comments with complete composure.

These people probably looked down on her or thought she was a pushover. They weren't afraid of her seeing their brazen comments.

And Alfred never stopped them or refuted what they were saying.

Nella suddenly felt it was all pointless.

Listlessly, she closed Zoey's profile.

Just as she was about to continue forward, the mountain suddenly trembled.

Immediately after, snow from the mountain charged toward her like a savage beast.

Before she could react, it swallowed her whole.

Terror, fear, and despair filled her chest in an instant.

She was pinned beneath the piled snow, her hand clutching her phone tightly as she started a video call with Alfred.

She thought that if she was going to die at this moment, she wanted to see Alfred one last time.

Consider it the fulfillment of her ten-year crush.

But the moment the video call connected, it was immediately rejected.

In that moment, resentment and grievance filled her chest.

Heavy and crushing, unbearably painful.

In fact, this ache and bitterness even drowned out the fear of impending death.

She didn't know where she found that stubborn streak, but she called again.

As expected, the video call was rejected once more.

Her heart felt as cold as the bone-chilling snow covering her body, making her tremble.

She sent Alfred a text message.

"There was an avalanche. I'm trapped under the snow."

She honestly didn't expect someone who had rejected her video calls twice in a row to reply to her message right away.

But she still held onto that thread of obsession.

Maybe she was giving this ten-year crush one last chance.

Or maybe she was giving herself a reason to finally give up.

Unexpectedly, a reply came the moment she sent it.

Every word on that screen felt like a blade, tearing her heart to shreds, leaving it bloody and mangled.

"Nella, if you want to trick me into coming back, you shouldn't tell such an obvious lie. I still need to stay with Zoey for a few more days. When you finishes your vacation, come back on your own."

Cold seeped through her like countless venomous insects, crawling through her pores into her limbs and bones.

She didn't reply again. Her body, buried beneath the snow, gradually lost all warmth.

Darkness swallowed Nella like an abyss, and all she could hear were desperate cries for help in different languages echoing around her.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw a pristine white ceiling.

"You're awake?"

The voice spoke in familiar, accented Oldeesh.

Nella turned her head and saw a young doctor looking at her.

"How are you feeling?"

The doctor adjusted his glasses and asked gently.

"I ... "

Her voice was terribly hoarse.

"You've been unconscious for five days. Being rescued alive from an avalanche is incredibly lucky. Just rest well now and recover before you're discharged."

Nella nodded and thanked him. "Thank you, doctor."

"Wesley Keywood."

Nella froze. "Sorry ... what?"

"I said, my name is Wesley Keywood."

The doctor introduced himself. "If you need anything, feel free to reach out to me anytime."

"Oh, okay. Thank you, Dr. Keywood."

After thanking him, she suddenly remembered something and said to Wesley, "Dr. Keywood, could you help me buy a phone and get a SIM card? I need to let my family know I'm safe."

Wesley nodded. "Sure, I'll go get that for you in a bit."

"Thank you so much."

After Wesley left, Nella suddenly remembered that her ID and other documents were still at the hotel in Glimmering Isles. Wesley wouldn't be able to get her a replacement SIM card without them.

But an hour later, Wesley returned with a new phone and had already gotten her SIM card replaced.

"I really appreciate this, Dr. Keywood. I'll transfer the money to you right away."

Wesley nodded. "Okay."

As he spoke, he pulled his phone from his white coat pocket and held it out to her. "Add me on Facebook Messenger, and I'll send you my bank account details."

Nella didn't think much of it and nodded, immediately logging into her Facebook Messenger.

As soon as she opened it, messages flooded in with constant pinging.

"Nella, I just saw on the news that there was an avalanche in Glacieroth a few days ago. Are you okay?"

"Nella, don't scare me. Call me back right away."

Then there were messages from several colleagues at the hospital.

"Dr. Milo, I heard an earthquake triggered an avalanche in Glimmering Isles. I remember you were there watching the northern lights. Are you okay?"

"Dr. Milo, please reply as soon as you see this. We're so worried about you."

Nella was stunned.

There were messages from various other acquaintances too, but the conversation she'd marked as her favorite was empty.

Nella touched her chest. Though it still felt a bit tight, it wasn't as bad as she'd imagined. It didn't hurt that much.

She quickly called her mother, Felicia Quill, who answered almost immediately.

"Nella, are you okay? You scared me to death."

Felicia's choked-up voice came through the phone.

"Mom, I'm sorry. I'm fine. I changed my itinerary at the last minute and happened to avoid it. The place where I was staying didn't have signal, so I couldn't reach you."

She made up an excuse, not wanting to worry her mother.

"No wonder I couldn't reach you, and Alfred's phone was turned off too. I'm so glad you're okay, so glad."

"Yeah, don't worry, Mom and Dad. I'll head home in a couple days once I get my documents replaced."

After hanging up, she replied to everyone else to let them know she was safe. Only then did she notice that Wesley was still standing there waiting for her.

Looking at Wesley's screen showing his Facebook Messenger QR code, Nella's expression turned sheepish. "Sorry, Dr. Keywood. I made you wait."

"It's fine. Can you add me now?"

Wesley smiled. Nella quickly scanned his QR code and added him on Facebook Messenger.

"Dr. Keywood, how much was everything? I'll transfer it to you."

"Just send whatever you think is fair."

Nella thought ...

That was an option?

Wesley really didn't seem to care about the money for the phone. After adding her on Facebook Messenger, he was called away by a nurse.

Nella found it all rather strange.

If he didn't care about the money, why did he insist on waiting for her to add him on Facebook Messenger?

She'd thought he was worried she'd skip out on the debt.

During her days at the hospital, it was mostly Wesley who brought her meals. She felt really embarrassed about it.

Wesley said that running into a fellow countryman abroad was fate, and helping out was only natural.

Under Wesley's care, she recovered well.

"Dr. Keywood, I really can't thank you enough for these past few days."

"Don't mention it."

Wesley casually adjusted his glasses. "We're compatriots. No need to be so formal."

He'd said this many times already, and Nella couldn't help but smile.

Wesley walked her out of the hospital and asked, "Heading home today?"

"Yeah, my leave ends tomorrow, and there's a lot to handle at the hospital."

At this, she paused and looked at Wesley with a smile. "I haven't introduced myself properly. I'm also a doctor."

Wesley smiled. "What a coincidence. Maybe we can exchange professional notes sometime."

Nella nodded. "Sure. Well, I should get going."

"Okay, goodbye."

...

On the plane to Craystan Airport, Nella came across Zoey's Facebook post again.

"Guess who's watching the northern lights with me? Wow! It's my dream guy!"

Nine photos were attached.

The northern lights in Askine were breathtakingly beautiful.

Even through the screen, you could see how stunning the northern lights were.

And beneath the lights were two overlapping shadows, one tall and one short, nestled close together.

She didn't need to guess to know it was Alfred.

"So he went to Askine to watch the northern lights with Zoey."

She stared at her phone screen and murmured absently.

She wondered if the northern lights in Askine were more beautiful than those in Glimmering Isles.

She clicked on Alfred's profile and unfollowed him.

...

At that moment in Askine, Alfred stared at his phone screen, unusually lost in thought.

Since they'd parted that day, he and Nella hadn't been in contact.

This was extremely unusual.

Nella loved to share things. Even if she saw an interesting leaf on her way to work, she'd take a photo and send it to him, even though he found it boring and often didn't know what to say back.

He'd never been someone who let himself get caught up in emotional turmoil, so when he didn't know what to reply, he simply didn't reply at all.

But now, nearly two weeks had passed since they'd separated, and Nella hadn't sent a single message. That wasn't like her at all.

Given her usual personality, with such beautiful northern lights, how could she not share photos with him?

Was she sulking?

Because he'd left her behind to save Zoey?

If that was the reason, it seemed pretty unreasonable. When someone's life was at stake, how could he have just stood by?

Thinking this, Alfred's brow furrowed unconsciously.

"Alfred, what are you thinking about? Come help me take photos."

Zoey ran up to him holding a camera. When she caught a glimpse of what was on Alfred's phone screen, her smile faltered briefly, but she quickly recovered.

"Alfred, are you thinking about your wife?"

She tilted her head to look at Alfred with an innocent expression.

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't been so weak and had a depression episode that made you come back, she wouldn't be mad at you and ignoring you like this."

Zoey's expression dimmed as she looked up at Alfred and said, "Alfred, she must be really mad at you right now. Why don't you reach out first and apologize to her?"

Zoey knew Alfred well. Cold, arrogant, always the one being courted by others. He would never humble himself and apologize to anyone first.

The more she pushed, the more he'd resist.

The next second, Alfred's expression turned cold as he said in a low voice, "When someone's life is on the line, if she's going to get mad about that, then let her stay mad."

He shoved his phone into his pocket, took the camera from Zoey's hands, and said, "Go on. I'll take your photos."

"Okay!"

Zoey's lips curved up happily as she skipped over.

But Alfred's expression remained sour. Thinking of that conversation on Facebook Messenger that had been silent for so long, his brow furrowed even deeper.

He thought about how Zoey had only faked being kidnapped because of a depression episode. It wasn't intentional.

Severe depression could be life-threatening. Taking her to see the northern lights to lift her spirits was good for her condition. Nella shouldn't be throwing these unreasonable tantrums at him.

He'd saved someone. He wasn't wrong.

Alfred told himself this over and over.

But if he was so confident he was right, why did he feel this inexplicable unease in his heart?

Even after watching the northern lights and returning to the hotel, the unease in Alfred's chest didn't diminish. Instead, it grew stronger, transforming into a silent panic.

He stared at his phone screen and clicked on Nella's Facebook Messenger profile. Their last conversation had been two weeks ago, the night before they were supposed to leave, when she'd told him about having to work late at the hospital.

After that, nothing.

Fine. She'd always been the one to reach out first. This time, he'd do it.

With that thought, he started typing, but after a few words, it didn't feel right. He deleted it and started over.

After several attempts, he finally made up his mind and sent a few words.

"Did you see the northern lights? How come you didn't send me any photos?"

After sending it, an unfamiliar nervousness rose in his chest.

This nervousness was strange. It was an alien feeling he'd never experienced, even while sitting at the negotiation table.

But he stared at his phone screen for ages without seeing Nella reply. The unconscious anticipation and tension in Alfred's heart began mixing with anger.

...

On the plane, Nella had just unfollowed Alfred when a flight attendant came over to remind her to turn off her phone.

"Miss, excuse me. The plane is about to take off. Please turn off your phone or switch it to airplane mode."

"Okay."

After switching her phone to airplane mode, she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes to rest.

After waiting all night without receiving a message from Nella, the silent anger in Alfred's heart, mixed with panic he didn't even recognize, reached its peak.

He tossed his phone aside and got up to head to the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, he came out of the bathroom. The phone he'd thrown on the nightstand suddenly lit up.

His steps halted. The next second, he strode quickly toward the bed, not even taking time to wipe the water droplets falling from his hair.

Even the corners of his mouth unconsciously curved up.

When he picked up the phone, the smile that had just been in his eyes vanished abruptly. The chat with Nella remained empty as before.

The phone that had just lit up displayed a message from Zoey with photos from their northern lights trip.

"Alfred, you're such a great photographer. Every single shot makes me look perfect. I don't even need to edit them before posting on Facebook."

Below was a string of photos of Zoey under the northern lights.

He had no interest in looking at them. He exited Facebook Messenger.

"Nella, you're really something."

Tossing his phone aside, Alfred gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath.

...

At that moment, on the plane headed for Craystan, Nella was experiencing an unforgettable nightmare.

Darkness, cold, fear, despair ...

It was like a devil from hell, its enormous mouth stretching endlessly, trying to swallow her whole.

She gripped the armrests tightly. "Help ... help me, help ... "

She felt someone pulling at her hand, gently shaking her, trying to pull her out of the abyss.

"Are you okay? Miss, are you okay?"

A gentle female voice kept calling to her, quickly pulling her away from that terrifying abyss.

Her eyes flew open, the terror still in them. Her breathing was heavy and labored, her face and forehead already covered in cold sweat.

"Are you okay?"

It was the familiar female voice from her dream.

Nella turned to look. Sitting beside her was a round-faced girl wearing black-framed glasses, currently looking at her with concern.

"Were you having a nightmare? I heard you calling for help."

The round-faced girl, Lyra Moore, asked with genuine concern.

Nella apologized with an embarrassed expression. "I'm so sorry. Did I disturb you?"

"Not at all. You just look really pale. Did you have some kind of terrible nightmare?"

A nightmare?

Yes, it really was a terrible nightmare.

Nella felt dazed, the bitterness in her heart desperately needing an outlet.

She looked at Lyra beside her and said hoarsely, "Yeah. Surviving an avalanche by the skin of my teeth. I guess you could say I've had the complete life experience now."

She said it in a light tone, but the girl gasped in shock, covering her mouth as she stared at her in disbelief.

"Was it the avalanche at Glimmering Isles?"

Nella nodded.

"Oh my god, so many people died in that avalanche."

Her eyes reddened as she reached out and grasped Nella's hand. "You must have been so scared."

Scared?

Nella's mind went blank. Thinking back to being buried under the snow, she couldn't even remember the fear she'd felt at the time.

But Alfred's response to her kept replaying vividly in her memory.

Before, she'd naively thought that even if Alfred didn't love her at first, love could grow over time.

As his legitimate wife, she had the advantage of proximity. She could slowly work her way into his heart.

But the cruel truth showed her that when a man doesn't love you, he really doesn't love you. Even when you're facing death, he'll firmly believe you're lying.

A complete stranger hearing about her avalanche experience would feel sorry enough to tear up and ask if she was scared.

But Alfred?

Nella gave a self-mocking laugh. "It's fine now. Every cloud has a silver lining, right?"

"Yeah, you've got tons of good luck coming your way."

Lyra comforted her.

20 hours later, the plane landed at Craystan Airport.

After saying goodbye to Lyra, she pulled her suitcase out of the airport.

As soon as she turned on her phone, a message from Alfred popped up.

"Did you see the northern lights? How come you didn't send me any photos?"

It was sent yesterday.

Nella thought about it and realized she must have already been on the plane with her phone off.

She hadn't expected Alfred to reach out first.

After all, over the past two years, aside from necessary notifications, Alfred had never initiated contact with her.

Even when she occasionally tried to close the distance between them by sharing bits of her daily life, he'd either leave her messages on read or not read them at all.

Nella stared at the message for a long time. She'd initially planned to ignore it, but remembering they only had two months left until their three-year arrangement ended, she replied.

"The northern lights were beautiful. Got so caught up watching them, I forgot to take photos."

She knew Alfred wouldn't reply. After sending the message, she was about to put her phone in her bag when Alfred unexpectedly replied instantly.

"Zoey had a depression episode and almost killed herself. As her sister-in-law, you haven't even sent a word of concern after all these days. That's pretty inappropriate."

Every word dripped with accusation. Even through the screen, Nella could imagine exactly what expression Alfred wore right now.

She thought for a moment and replied.

"Sorry."

No excuses or explanations. After sending those two words, she put her phone in her bag and pulled her suitcase out of the airport.

...

Meanwhile, at another terminal gate, Alfred stared at Nella's reply of "Sorry" with a dark expression, feeling no satisfaction whatsoever.

He'd waited for her all night, and all she sent back was that one line. No explanation at all. Her usual paragraphs of text had dwindled to just a few words after two weeks.

Alfred didn't know what he was so angry about. In any case, he'd sent that string of accusations almost out of spite.

But after sending it, he regretted it.

After all, she didn't know about Zoey's depression episode. His accusation really had no basis.

Just as he was about to give them both an out, he decided to send a voice message instead.

"Forget it this time. When you get back, apologize to Zoey. She won't hold it against you ... "

Before he could finish, the word "Sorry" abruptly popped up in the chat.

Alfred's expression instantly turned cold. He jabbed the delete button, erasing the voice message he hadn't sent.

"Alfred, Archie says he's already outside the airport. Let's go."

Zoey grabbed Alfred's arm and walked happily toward the airport exit.

...

Outside the airport, Nella stood at the pickup area with her suitcase, waiting for her ride, when she heard that familiar voice not far away.

"Alfred, hurry up. Archie and the others said they're throwing us a welcome back party tonight."

Nella's body stiffened, and her hand on the suitcase handle unconsciously tightened.

Alfred and Zoey were returning today too?

What a coincidence.

She found it rather amusing, though she had no intention of going over to disturb them.

Their little world didn't need her barging in like a third wheel and ruining the mood.

She looked down at her phone. The rideshare she'd ordered was almost there.

But just then, she heard Zoey call out in confusion. "Nella?"

Nella pretended not to hear and kept staring at her phone screen.

"Nella! Alfred, it's your wife."

"Nella, Nella!"

"Nella!"

Now that she was calling her repeatedly, pretending not to hear would be too obvious. Nella had no choice but to turn around helplessly.

She saw Zoey's hand linked through Alfred's arm, waving at her happily.

The next second, Zoey pulled the sullen-faced Alfred toward her.

Nella pressed her fingers to her temple helplessly. She really wanted to remind Zoey that her beloved Alfred clearly wasn't happy and obviously didn't want her there right now to ruin their time together. Couldn't she tell?

"Nella, you just got back too?"

Zoey came up to Nella, her gaze sweeping over Nella's suitcase.

Nella glanced at her and Alfred, then nodded. "Yeah, my leave's over."

She could feel those piercing eyes boring into her, sharp as knives, as if trying to cut right through her.

Was he blaming her for showing up here?

Well, sorry about that. She didn't have the gift of foresight to know they'd be here too.

If she'd known, she definitely wouldn't have appeared here to play third wheel.

Seeing Nella's expression remain calm without a trace of anger or jealousy, Zoey's heart skipped a beat.

Then her eyes shifted. She clutched Alfred's arm and said to Nella with a guilty expression, "Nella, I'm so sorry. If I hadn't had a depression episode and relied on Alfred so much, he wouldn't have left you to come with me. I'm so useless. I ruined your trip. I'm truly sorry."

As soon as she finished speaking, her eyes reddened, as if Nella's refusal to forgive her would drive her to something drastic.

Though Nella wasn't skilled at playing mind games or pulling the innocent act, that didn't mean she couldn't see the blatant provocation hidden in Zoey's simple words.

But even so, she couldn't be bothered to take the bait. She just smiled faintly and said, "It's fine. I don't blame you. When someone's life is at stake, I understand."

Clearly, this magnanimous reaction wasn't what Zoey wanted. She stared at Nella's smiling eyes, seemingly trying to find some trace of displeasure or resentment.

However, Nella maintained that calm, gentle demeanor everyone was used to seeing.

Zoey bit her lower lip, still unwilling to give up.

"Nella, I know you blame me and you're mad at Alfred. Otherwise, why haven't you contacted him after all this time? It's all my fault. Nella, go ahead and yell at me. Just don't be mad at Alfred, okay?"

Nella fell silent.

Even with her usual good temper, she couldn't help but want to curse right now.

She'd been so tactful and gracious, yet Zoey insisted on making her cause a scene?

She glanced at Alfred and saw him maintaining that dark expression, clearly unhappy. She gave up on any thought of explaining.

She sighed and looked at Zoey. "Ms. Mack, I'm really not mad at you, and I'm not mad at Alfred either. I truly understand."

Under Zoey's disappointed gaze at her failed attempt to stir up trouble, she said, "The reason I didn't contact Alfred was because I was too busy enjoying the scenery. I just forgot."

"Ha."

A cold, mocking laugh came from beside her. Nella's lips stiffened, but in the end, she said nothing.

"Hey! Alfred, Zoey!"

Just then, an eye-catching Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe appeared in their line of sight.

The car's appearance and brand were enough to turn heads.